S T R O K E S T O W N
i n t e r n a t i o n a l
P O E T R Y F E S T I V A L
Féile Idirnáisiúnta Filíochta Bhéal Áth na mBuillí
FROM A LOYAL FUNDSFORWRITERS READER:
Dear Hope,
You were right to have me get back to you about being shortlisted for the Strokestown International Poetry Festival--which I first discovered in Funds for Writers--because I have just returned from Ireland with the festival's FIRST PRIZE of 4,000 euros (over $5,000), which is for one poem! Thanks for putting me onto this one!
It's a great poetry festival, which I highly recommend to the poets on your Funds for Writers list. In fact, the director, Merrily Harpur, asked if I could help publicize the festival in the U.S., because they'd love to have more submissions from this side of the pond. It's a wonderful festival just to attend as well, because it's in a lovely location, Strokestown Park House, and the estate surrounding it, the quality of the readings is uniformly high, and the Irish people are gracious, appreciative, and generous. (Factoid: the Irish buy more poetry books per capita than any country in Europe.) Here is a link to my poem at the website:
http://www.strokestownpoetry.org/Shortlist%20poems%202010,%20English%20lang.htm
Amazing, huh? I'm still in shock... Thanks for apprising me of such a wonderful contest!
Lawrence Kessenich
NOTE: I get chills hearing from readers, and this one downright made me shiver with excitement. This is a huge win for Lawrence, and this definitely validates the Strokestown Poetry Competition as a credible one, don't you think? Imagine a trip to Europe! And they want more Yanks to submit, too. The guidelines for the 2011 competition come out in July 2010 and the deadline will be in January 2011. Make sure you go read Lawrence's winning entry.
DOUBLE NOTE: This win will open doors for Lawrence. This is why I endorse contests. You don't have to enter all of them, but pick a handful to strive for each year. Even if they have entry fees. These are great feathers to have in your hat if you fancy a writing career.
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